The Problem of Organized Crime

Organized crime has been a persistent problem in many societies, and it can be challenging to completely eradicate it. Despite various efforts by law enforcement agencies, government, and society, organized crime groups continue to operate and exert influence in many areas of life. Their criminal activities can have significant negative impacts on individuals, businesses, and communities, including violence, corruption, and economic losses. However, to argue that the best the criminal justice system can hope to do is to ameliorate the effects of organized crime is to take a somewhat hopes stance on the problems undermining civil society, law, and order. To understand why this is a problem, it is helpful to understand how organized crime comes to dominate.

There are numerous theories for why this happens. For instance, social disorganization theory is a criminological theory that suggests that organized crime may be more prevalent in areas where there is a breakdown of social institutions and norms, such as poverty, unemployment, and high crime rates (Kubrin & Mioduszewski, 2019). The theory argues that these conditions create a sense of social disorganization that makes it easier for criminal activities, including organized crime, to operate without detection. In the absence of organization and authority, law and order, organized crime can emerge to take control in a societyoften by addressing some need in the community that goes unanswered by lawful authorities. An example would be the rise of organized crime in the 1920s in the USA, when alcohol was prohibited and bootleggers emerged to provide society with the contraband it craved.

According to social disorganization theory, there are several factors that contribute to social disorganization, including poverty, unemployment, ethnic heterogeneity, residential mobility, and family disruption (Kubrin & Mioduszewski, 2019). These factors can lead to a breakdown of social bonds and a lack of informal social control, which can make it easier for criminal activities to flourish. For example, when people are struggling to meet their basic needs or are constantly moving in and out of neighborhoods, they may not have the time or resources to establish strong social networks and relationships with their neighbors, making it easier for criminals to operate without detection.

Social disorganization theory has been applied to the study of organized crime in several ways. For example, researchers have found that organized crime groups are more likely to operate in neighborhoods that experience high levels of social disorganization. This is because these neighborhoods are often characterized by high levels of poverty, low levels of education, and a lack of social cohesion, which can make it easier for criminals to operate and recruit new members (Kubrin & Ousey, 2023).

Social disorganization theory also suggests that the response to organized crime should focus on addressing the underlying social conditions that create social disorganization. This could include measures to reduce poverty and unemployment, improve educational opportunities, and strengthen social networks and...…patient, Sorry, your mental health is not something I can help you with but I can give you this padded room and this straight-jacket so that the effects of your poor mental health are not so bad for you! Such a doctor would be seen as a failureand so too should a criminal justice system that fails to address root causes of organized crime.

One way that researchers have considered pursuing in recent years is restorative justice, which works to satisfy victims of crime and reduce recidivism rates so that offenders are brought back into the folds of a functioning society (Voreen et al., 2022). This is but one possible path forward, but the likely course of action that the criminal justice system should pursue to be successful against organized crime is a course that includes multiple action plans. It is not going to be a one-front fight but rather a multi-front effort that includes stakeholders from various fields and levels working together with the criminal justice system (DSouza & LHoiry, 2021).

Overall, the criminal justice system, including standing crime commissions, has a challenging task in combating organized crimebut not an impossible one. Ultimately, the key to success will be to recognize that organized crime has serious consequences for society as a whole, including economic damage, violence, and threats to public safety and that by working together to address the root causes of organized crime, we can create a safer and more…